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Coconut Cupcakes are the soft, moist, bakery style treat that coconut fans dream about, made with real coconut milk in the batter and crowned with the fluffiest whipped coconut buttercream you have ever piped. I baked a batch for a Sunday family dinner and they disappeared before our funfetti cupcakes even got their usual fan club meeting.
The batter is a one bowl whisk job, and the frosting secret is nothing but patience and a stand mixer.
Coconut Cupcakes Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 20 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 30 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 29 cupcakes
- ⚡ Calories: 379kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Sweet vanilla coconut with a cloud of coconut buttercream
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, the same whisk and bake rhythm as our lemon cupcakes
Quick Answer
Whisk sugar and vegetable oil, add eggs one at a time, then the coconut and vanilla extracts. Alternate adding the sifted flour mixture and coconut milk in halves until smooth, fill lined cupcake tins with 3 tablespoons of batter each, and bake at 350 degrees for 17 to 20 minutes. Frost the cooled cupcakes with whipped coconut buttercream made from butter, powdered sugar, coconut milk, and both extracts, then finish with toasted coconut.
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Coconut milk works in both layers. Unsweetened coconut milk moistens the crumb and thins the frosting, so the coconut flavor is baked in and whipped on instead of just sprinkled on top.
- Oil makes a more tender cupcake than butter. Oil stays liquid at room temperature, which keeps the crumb soft and moist for days.
- Alternating flour and coconut milk prevents a tough crumb. Adding them in halves keeps the gluten from overdeveloping, so the cupcakes bake up light instead of dense.
- The slow powdered sugar add is the frosting secret. Spoonful by spoonful into whipped butter builds an emulsion full of tiny air pockets, that is what makes it unbelievably fluffy.
- Two extracts beat one. Coconut extract carries the theme while vanilla rounds it out, so the flavor reads rich instead of like sunscreen.
- The final 3 minute whip transforms the frosting. Medium high speed at the end fills the buttercream with air until it pipes like a cloud and eats even lighter.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- One batch makes about 29 cupcakes, real party and bake sale numbers.
- The coconut flavor is genuine, coconut milk and coconut extract in the batter AND the frosting.
- The whipped frosting method makes the fluffiest buttercream on the site, even fluffier than our classic buttercream frosting.
Key Ingredients
Pantry basics plus two cans worth of coconut flavor.
- Unsweetened coconut milk: The canned kind, shaken well. It goes in the batter and the frosting, do not swap in cream of coconut which is sweetened.
- Coconut extract: The flavor multiplier that makes the coconut unmistakable in every bite.
- Vegetable oil: Keeps the crumb soft and moist for days, exactly what you want in a make ahead cupcake.
- Salted butter: A cup and a half, softened, is the base of the fluffy frosting. Salted balances all that powdered sugar.
- Powdered sugar: Six cups, sifted, added slowly. The slow add is what whips the frosting into a cloud.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This base recipe loves a remix.
- Fold a half cup of sweetened shredded coconut into the batter for extra texture in the crumb.
- Add a raspberry or pineapple jam filling by coring the cooled cupcakes before frosting for a tropical surprise center.
- Toast the coconut garnish in a dry skillet until golden for a nutty crunch, or leave it snowy white for baby showers.
- Turn the same flavors into a layer cake, or if you love a tangy tropical dessert, our no bake key lime pie is the no oven cousin.
How to Make Coconut Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake tins with liners. In a medium bowl, stir together the sifted flour, baking powder, and salt, then set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar and vegetable oil.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing each one in before adding the next, then whisk in the coconut extract and vanilla extract.
- Add half of the flour mixture and whisk to combine, then half of the coconut milk and whisk until smooth. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture and coconut milk, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Add 3 tablespoons of batter to each cupcake liner and bake for 17 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in the tin, then completely on a wire rack.
- For the frosting, whip the softened butter until smooth, then add the powdered sugar a spoonful at a time until fully incorporated. Add the coconut milk and both extracts, then whip on medium high for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Frost the cooled cupcakes and garnish with toasted coconut.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Shake the coconut milk can hard. The cream separates from the water in the can, and the batter needs them evenly combined.
- Measure 3 tablespoons of batter per liner. A consistent fill means all 29 cupcakes dome and finish at the same time.
- Cool the cupcakes completely before frosting. Even slightly warm cakes melt the whipped buttercream into a glaze.
- Add the powdered sugar slowly, for real. Yes it takes a while, but the spoonful at a time method is exactly why this frosting is so fluffy.
- Soft butter, not melty butter. It should dent when pressed but not look shiny, that structure holds all the air you whip in.
- Pipe with a large star tip for the bakery look. The same swirl technique we use on our strawberry earthquake cake toppings works beautifully here.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
These are the cupcakes for spring holidays, baby showers, and potlucks, the snowy coconut finish looks dressed up next to our angel food cake on a dessert table.
Pair one with an afternoon coffee, or plate them for birthdays alongside our funfetti cupcakes so the coconut people and the sprinkle people both win.
For an Easter or Mother”s Day spread, set them out with our lemon cupcakes, the coconut and lemon pair is a bakery case classic.
Store frosted cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days and let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Unfrosted cupcakes freeze beautifully up to 3 months, thaw and frost the day you need them.
Coconut Cupcakes FAQs
Three layers of flavor, unsweetened coconut milk in the batter, coconut extract in both the batter and the frosting, and toasted coconut on top. The milk carries the richness while the extract makes the flavor unmistakable.
Yes, canned unsweetened coconut milk is exactly what this recipe uses, in the batter and the frosting. Shake the can well before opening so the cream and liquid recombine. Do not substitute cream of coconut, which is heavily sweetened and will throw off the recipe.
Almost always one of three things, the butter was too warm, the powdered sugar went in too fast, or the final whip was skipped. Use softened but cool butter, add the sugar a spoonful at a time, and finish with a full 3 minute whip on medium high speed.
Spread sweetened shredded coconut in a dry skillet over medium low heat and stir constantly for 3 to 5 minutes until golden, or bake it on a sheet tray at 325 degrees for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring once. Watch closely, it goes from golden to burnt fast.
Yes. Bake the cupcakes up to 2 days ahead and store them airtight at room temperature, or freeze them unfrosted up to 3 months. The frosting can be made a day ahead and refrigerated, just let it soften and re whip it briefly before piping.
Because the frosting is butter based, store frosted cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Let them stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving so the crumb softens and the frosting fluffs back up.
Made these Coconut Cupcakes? Leave a comment and a star rating below, I would love to hear how tall you piped that frosting!
Cookie butter fans should meet our Biscoff cupcakes next.
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Come December, my heart topped grinch cupcakes take over the cupcake stand.
Coconut Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 2 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour sifted
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons coconut extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
For the frosting:
- 1 & 1/2 cups salted butter softened
- 6 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 6 tablespoons unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line cupcake tins with liners and set aside.
- In a medium-bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt, set aside.2 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and oil.2 cups granulated sugar, 1 cup vegetable oil
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing the first one in before adding the next.4 large eggs
- Whisk in the coconut extract and vanilla extract.2 teaspoons coconut extract, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add half of the flour mixture, whisk to combine.
- Add half of the coconut milk, whisk until smooth.1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
- Repeat with the flour mixture, then coconut milk, scrape down the sides as needed.
- Add 3 tablespoons of the cupcake batter to each cupcake liner.
- Bake for 17-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes in the tin, then take them out and cool completely on a wire rack.
- While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting. Add the butter to the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Whip until smooth.1 & 1/2 cups salted butter
- Slowly add the powdered sugar a spoonful at a time, making sure it is mixed in before adding the next, until fully incorporated. Yes, this takes a long time, but this is what makes the frosting extra fluffy.6 cups powdered sugar
- Add the coconut milk, coconut extract, and vanilla extract. Stir to combine.6 tablespoons unsweetened coconut milk, 1 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract, 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Once combined, scrape down the sides, then set the mixer on medium-high speed. Whip for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add the frosting to the cupcakes and garnish with toasted coconut if desired.
Notes
- Always use room temperature ingredients for the best results.
- Don’t overmix the batter; stir until just combined to keep the cupcakes fluffy.
- Test for doneness with a toothpick—it should come out clean when inserted into the center.
- Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting to prevent the frosting from melting.
- If using fresh fruit for garnish, add just before serving to keep it fresh.
Nutrition
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